WA Landcare Network stages annual gathering in Katanning and inducts eight new icons into hall of fame

The WA Landcare Network staged its annual gathering in Katanning, attracting farmers, landholders and politicians to an event which aimed to contribute towards nurturing and reinvigorating the rural landscape. On the two-day agenda earlier this month was inducting new members into the organisation’s hall of fame as well as workshops and visits to local sites and properties. Among the participants of the event were Peter Rundle, deputy leader of the Nationals WA and member for Roe, plus Greens WA MLC Jess Beckerling. There were eight Landcare icons welcomed into the hall of fame including Heather Adams from the Oyster Harbour Catchment Group and Basil Schur, a project manager at Green Skills, both of which have bases in Denmark. Also inducted was Louise Duxbury, who founded Green Skills in 1989, was a former executive officer at WA Landcare and is now chair at Gondwana Link Limited, which is based in Albany. The opening day brought a wealth of topics including the history of Landcare in WA, the beauty and challenges of farming, intergenerational care for the land and the connection between human and environmental health. Visits on day two involved a trip to Piesse Park, which is being restored by Katanning Landcare and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, to learn about drainage, revegetation and their saltbush trials. Ms Adams farms in Woogenellup between the Porongurup and Stirling Ranges and is the longstanding chair of the catchment group. Under her watch, the group has completed many successful projects which have reduced harmful run-off from farmers into the Kalgan River and her mantra “get that bushland fenced” has been pivotal in securing funding for more than 450km of protective fencing. Mr Schur has worked with Green Skills in Denmark since 1989. He has been a key ambassador for Gondwana Link and has managed a wetland conservation program which has seen multiple wetland fencing and rehabilitation projects completed on farms and the Denmark Wetlands Centre. Dr Duxbury has more than 35 years experience contributing to environmental initiatives, leadership development and community resilience across the Great Southern region and beyond.